My Homework

I thought you might be interested in seeing what my homework assignments generally consist of. This amount is typical (if there is such a thing) of what a 2-week period looks like, as far as the reading goes, but because it is being assigned prior to meeting these instructors, it is a lot "lighter" than normal on the amount of work that needs to be turned in. Enjoy.

1. STC381—Legal Issues of Commercialization.
   1. Allison & Prentice, Chapters 1-4.
   2. Participate in a threaded discussion of issues related to this session's reading assignments on the Blackboard Reading Discussion forum.
2. STC384—Commercialization Strategy.
   1. A listing of team members and a brief description of the technology is to be submitted via e-mail by September 1.
   2. BDSS [Textbook: "Economics of Strategy"] Introduction
   3. BDSS Primer: Economic Concepts for Strategy (review), 9
   4. BDSS 1, The Evolution of the Modern Firm (Skim), 43
   5. BDSS 2, The Horizontal Boundaries of the Firm: Economies of Scale and Scope, 74
   6. Porter, M., “What is Strategy?” HBR OnPoint Article #4134
   7. Fabtek HBS Case (#9-592-095) and Questions
3. STC394c—Managing Production and Development.
   1. HBS case 5-704-497: Strategic Inflection: TiVo in 2003
   2. Hagel, John III and Singer, Marc. March-April 1999. Unbundling the Corporation. Harvard Business Review.
   3. Morris, Charles R. and Ferguson, Charles H. March-April 1993. How Architecture Wins Technology Wars. Harvard Business Review.
   4. Jolly, Vijay K. 1997. Chapter 6 in Commercializing New Technologies, Getting from Mind to Market. Boston: Harvard Business School Press (STC380 text).
   5. Prepare the following questions for discussion:
      1. What factors facilitate and complicate the adoption of TiVo’s product? Who is the ideal candidate for TiVo’s product?
      2. What are Tivo’s competitive strengths and weaknesses? Where does TiVo fit in the entertainment value network? Who are its allies? Enemies?
      3. What is your evaluation of TiVo’s plans and execution to date (at the time of the case)? What is your assessment of its positioning and differentiation? Do you propose any changes that would help the company sustain and scale itself in this market, and appropriate gains from its innovation?
      4. What is the reason for the prevailing view that it is hard for a proprietary system to be open? Is it possible for a non-proprietary system to be profitable? For a proprietary system to be open?
      5. What according to the authors of “Unbundling the Corporation “ are the compromises inherent in a bundled company?
      6. What are the risks in unbundling a company? (What are the weaknesses of unbundled firms?) Is there any other way to overcome the above compromises without unbundling a company?
   6. In addition, each team will present a 5 minute presentation about their technology, product, customer, and “manufacturing environment” (product realization). The teams may prepare, but this will be an informal (not graded) presentation.
4. STC395—Market Driven Entrepreneurship.
   1. The Ernst & Young Business Plan Guide: Read pp 1-14 and 47-56.
   2. The Entrepreneurial Venture: Read Chapters 1 and 14
   3. Posted to Course Documents, Session 1: Complete the Student Profile Form and email back to Erin. Download and skim the document on How to Read a Financial Report
   4. Some of you already have a book called Writing Business Plans That Work. That was a last minute addition, and only a few of the onliners have a copy. The rest of you will be receiving that and one other book in class next week. If you have the book, read pages 13-34. For the rest of you, I will scan and post a copy to Course Documents tomorrow morning.
   5. There will be three brief notes/cases that will be posted to BB no later than Friday. Please take a look at those, paying particular attention to the one titled A Note on Case Learning.